Lamm 2.1 amps

How do you know it's time to replace the tubes in a pair of M2.1s? What sonic attributes will I hear when the tubes(i.e. Amperex Bugle Boys) are over the hill. I assume this will be a gradual deterioration...is that correct? Cheers,
Spencer

The difference between the M201s, which are great for the price, and the Lamms are ASTOUNDING. If you can get a pair, you will not believe your ears. It sounds to me like live music. The soundstage and details are like nothing I have ever heard. Be prepared though, they are hot so I have to now buy amp stands instead of the cabinet I originally had. But I can tell you this, I was thinking of upgrading my speakers, no need to now. They sing with these amps.

I am running the ML 2.1's in my system to power huge Wilson X-2's. It is the finest amp I have ever owned and at 18 wpc, it has sufficient to headroom to drive the huge 15" drivers on the X-2's with ease.

Interesting thread as I also have Rowland (201) mono amps with Dynaudio 5.4 speakers. I am also condsidering the Lamm amps. Interested if anyone has experience with the Lamm/Dynaudio combination. The Dynaudio does like more power.

welcome to the club ... yes, they are amazing ... so, effortless

Just to update anyone that is thinking of the Lamm amps. I eventually decided on the Lamm 1.2 Reference amps. Amazing product. Great spacially with amzing detail and life. It is like listening to a live performance. I know these are expensive, I really can't believe I paid as much for them even used, but they are worth it. Simply amazing. For me, they are perfect.

Yes I was talking about the M2.1s. The M2.2s are a bit expensive so I thought this would be a good model to try. I also have kids so I do not want to have tubes with yound kids for fear of one of them being as stupid as I was as a young boy. You detailed response is just what I was looking for. Thanks for the comments.

To which lamm 2.1 amplifiers are you referring to?

The M2.1, which is the 200 wpc, hybrid monoblock amplifier? (FYI, which has been superceded by the M2.2)

Or,

The ML2.1, which is the 18 wpc SET tube monoblock amplifier?

It appears that you are referring to the M2.1 amplifiers, correct? If so, I have just gotten a pair, used, and they are terrific, IMHO. (After hearing them in two of my friends' systems, I was so impressed that I bought a pair myself. Lucky for me, a local seller sold them to me for $7K.)

Strengths: Very musical; Very powerful; Imaging is spot-on, as is the soundstaging. The treble is very, very good and the bass is outstanding. The mid-range has just a touch of that tube lushness, that make vocals a real treat to listen too. (As it has only one tube per amp, you can not only tweak the sound, to an limited extent, and since it only has two tubes, it is (relatively) cheap to tube roll. I have not done this yet, but my friend, (who has the M2.1s too), has and says the sound can be brought to even higher heights by using NOS tubes.)

Weaknesses: Very Expensive, even used; As it operates in Class A up to 36 wpc, it uses a fair amount of power, and thus your electric bill will be a bit higher; Again, as it operates in Class A for a significant amount, it runs a bit hot.
(When I say a bit hot, I do mean "only" a bit, but more than just warm. It will heat up the room, but not like the big tube amps, (i.e. the VTL 450s or 750s) or even the big pure Class A amps (i.e. Pass Aleph or XA series.) You can put your had on the top of the amp, and keep it there without fear of burning yourself.

One other point which I will make is that the power does not double as you halve the impedance. (However, I have a Mark Levinson No. 23 (A SS stereo 200 wpc amp, which does double in power as the impedance is halved), and it turns out that it is not quite as powerful as my M2.1s monoblocks, when they drive my Revel Studios (which have an impedance of 4 ohms). I think the separate power supplies really do supply much more power than I was ever led to believe.

Another friend of mine has the newer M2.2s and while I have only heard them in his system, the differences are very subtle from the M2.1s. (i.e. slightly more powerful (220 wpc) and maybe just a touch more treble, maybe.) BTW, I am not sure which Rowlands you have, but this same friend used to have the Rowland 501s and while he said that they were good, he said that his Classe CA-401 was better, (as were his VTL MB-450s), and that his Lamms are the best of the bunch. He used to use the Rowlands during the summer months (as they ran cool), and the VTLs in the winter months (as they ran really hot). He has now sold both, and only uses the Lamm M2.2s. He uses the Avalon Eidolons, which really demand a lot of power to make the amps come to life, and even though technically the Lamms are 1/4 to ½ as powerful as the other amps, they actually sound better and even the bass is better. I can not imagine the speaker that this amp could not drive. (I know that I could have settled for the M1.1, which only has 100 wpc, as I only turn my preamp up to about the 10:00 o'clock position.)

Well, hope this helps!
Good Luck in your search!

PS I have found the last pair of amplifiers I ever plan on buying in my lifetime.